Hello forum friends. The birth of this song began in a resort gift shop on vacation in Mexico a few years ago. My wife loves to shop and I don't. When I was standing there bored, this melody came into my head. The words were illusive for a period. Hope you like it. Listening to it on speaker for the first time, there is a boominess in the vocal that needs addressing. Oh well, live and learn! Take care. Greg


https://soundcloud.com/gjohnson-2/soulfulmasterssl

STILL AIN’T FOUND IT YET


As a young man, how I admired those movie stars
All those smooth lines, pretty women and flashy cars
So I searched outside the reel, for something that feels
Like that on-screen Corvette
But I still ain’t found it yet

Some may find their peace in their mother earth
Or salvation and strength in their savior’s birth
But with my answer, I’ve never been blessed, it’s illusive I guess
Slips like water through the net
Cause I still ain’t found it yet

And this long road is bringin’ me down
Keep on chasin’ this oasis that I need
And the world keeps spinnin’ me round
I can’t focus at this dizzying speed

Sometimes I feel like I should have been born in another time
Like a strange word endlessly searching for one that rhymes
There are times, in the distance I see, some part of me
In a place where I can’t get
So I still ain’t found it yet

Good song with great sounding vocals. This is a good write and I enjoyed it from start to finish.

Charlie

Vocals sound fine to me. Good inspiration for the tune and you put it together nicely. What BIAB tracks did you use? Good write and a fine performance! I liked the lead work, too.

Great solid write Greg.
I really liked the lyrics: "But with my answer, I’ve never been blessed, it’s illusive I guess
Slips like water through the net" Creative and stylish.
You've done a great job (again)
Trev

Beautiful writing, Greg... as always. You put thoughtful words together in a totally natural way. Always interesting, never contrived and certainly never mundane.

And then...wrap that in a gorgeous melody - that can be described in that same way...

Excellent production - the combination of drums, bass and organ - what a perfect soundscape for this lyric... Shades of JB ("These Days")...

The vocal sounds great. The guitar screams! (Is that an RT???)

Awesome listen in every regard.

floyd

Hi Greg,

very beautiful song! Great lyrics and awesome
performance. I like the lead a lot.
Very enjoyable listen.

Guenter

Hi Greg,

This is a very nice song with a cool chord progression and beautiful chorus.
Yes, we also would like to know about the lead guitar: Is it an RT?

Rob and Anne-Marie

Great song! Very strong lyrics and amen to the hook'still ain't found it yet'.
Haunting guitar. Cheers.

Hi Greg.

Beautiful song.

Great arrangement, performance and mix.

Excellent vocal delivery and wonderful lead guitar.

Loved it all.

ROG.

Greg,

The others have said it all, as this song is a good example of your impeccable standards.

What RTs did you use to produce this?

enjoyed the listen a lot!!

Alyn

Hi Greg!
I like the sound of the organ in the background and the lead guitar. Good lyrics, band, production and vocals. Enjoyed!
Sonny

Greg, A great write. Fantastic lyrical composition! A vocal that is again way up on the top shelf. Nice guitar effect. Some great editing if that was a real track. Everything is so good with this I don't know where to start or finish. You keep raising the bar. I am in awe at the moment. Superb! Tom

"So I searched outside the reel, for something that feels"

Wow! A great snippet from an amazing write.

The vocals and production are, as always, high bar
and it all sounds wonderful on our monitors.

Like others, we'd like to know more about the
production!

J&B

Thanks Charlie. Much appreciated! I would love to hear Darius Rucker sing this. I wasn't much of a Hootie fan but that guy can sing. I did my best to try to get that feel. Take care. Greg

I like this song.
There's a great guitar in it.

Your voice goes well on the song.

Nice sound in the background

Sergio

Greg,

This is an outstanding listen. Your melody, lyrics, arrangement, performance and mix are outstanding. I was particularly drawn to your lyrics. Trevor has already mentioned the "slips like water through the net" simile. That grabbed me, too. What I found most powerful, though, was your third A section...


To me, this was a very inspired pinnacle of verse development in the song. You really have a gift for mixing a palette of words and painting a masterpiece.

Overall... fantastic!

Regards,
Noel

Your preamble/backstory kills me, it sounds just like something I'd say! First thing that hits me is how well the bass lines move the song forward, the guitar (your playing?) is very tasteful and drives everything. There's a hint of These Days in the verses and the bridge part is just a beautiful melody. The best compliment that I can give is that when I listen to it I think about how I'd like to record a version of it, maybe like a Ryan Adams acoustic thang. Listened a second time to appreciate the really good lyrics.
Really enjoyed, maybe both of our songs will show up on Fargo's soundtrack next season.

Kenny

Thanks Kevin! I will post the RTs-all BIAB. I wish I could play like that. Loved your last post! Take care. Greg

Greg,

Better late than never. This is really good stuff. I particularly liked:


"Some may find their peace in their mother earth
Or salvation and strength in their savior’s birth
But with my answer, I’ve never been blessed, it’s illusive I guess
Slips like water through the net
Cause I still ain’t found it yet."


I hear some embryonic Brian Wilson in there. Ah, how I miss California.


Regards,

Bob

Thanks so much Floyd for your extremely generous comments! I hesitated writing it because the progression was common and the tempo was about the same as THESE DAYS but I thought I could capture a different vibe with the melody. The guitar was an RT-I goosed it with the Sonnox Inflator plug which can be great on certain instruments. I'll post the RTs-been crazy busy lately since my son started middle school. Take care. Greg

My first post when to forum purgatory so here it goes again.

I really like this one. The vocals, lyrics and mix were spot on but that guitar tone and lead put it over the top for me.

If I heard this in a record, oops I'm old, CD store I would have purchased it then and there.

Just catching up - had a short holiday - missed this one. Loved the use of the descending bass line. Excellent song and agree with all the prior comments.

Thanks so much for the kind words Guenter! Love to hear from you (comments and tunes). Thanks so much for your consistent support. Take care. Greg

Thanks R and AM. Yes it's an RT (still have to post the RTs). Thanks again for the kind words. Always love to hear what you guys are doing! Take care. Greg

Nice work.

Loved the vocals. The music has a Procol Harum feel to it with the B3...

I like the lyrics....insightful.

This time, I won't tell you what I don't like.

Just kidding... you should know me better than that.

The lead guitar.... just to harsh and wild for the feel of the song.
The strange progression... one chord in the chorus..... but I guess it could grow on me...
What's up with the ending? Sounded like you let BB do the ending for you.

All in all, A good write and a good job.

I like the song and the story behind the song. Nice job on the mixing but just a little harsh to my ears but it may just be SoundCloud's conversion.

I really enjoyed this song. With the background story, I imagined sitting on a beach and examining my life.

Exquisite lyrics, and I really enjoyed the lead guitar. That was from BIAB?!!?

Overall, a very enjoyable song that will fit comfortably in a soothing and reflective playlist.

P.S. I hope you at least you found a good wife... ;-)

Thanks RichMac. Really appreciate your consistent support. A compliment on lyrics from you is truly appreciated as you are a very colorful writer. Take care. Greg

Thanks so much ROG. I wish that were me on guitar! Really loved your last post! Take care. Greg

THanks Alyn. Your kind words mean a lot to me. I still have to post the RTs (been drowning in life lately). Just listed to Train Surfer today. Killer!! Take care. Greg

What a cool song. Great sounding track Greg!

Thanks Sonny! Really enjoying your consistent presence on the forum (as a listener and songwriter). THanks for the support! Take care. Greg

Thanks so much for the kind words Tom! And, I can truthfully say, I am in awe of what you're doing lately. You're on a roll!! Take care. Greg

Thanks J and B. Much appreciated!! Keep doin' what you're doin'!! Take care. Greg

Thanks Sergio! It's a BIAB guitar. You're playing some great axe yourself! Take care. Greg

Very high praise indeed Kenny!! I would love to hear you cover it. I may have overdone it on the arrangement. Loving your stuff!! Take care. Greg

Thanks so much for the kind words Bob! Loved your last post!! Take care. Greg

Wow, what a great compliment!! I too still think of "records". Those were the days! You've been on a roll lately! Take care. Greg

Hi, Greg !

I just loved your song
what a beautiful one
and your vocals.......excellent !!!!!


Cheers
Dani

very beautiful song! Great lyrics and awesome performance. I like the lead a lot.

Hey Greg,

This is a GREAT song. Really great. The mix is very hot though, in the mastering. What tool and pre-set are you using (if any)? If you are going to address the boominess you may want to trim back the high end. All these maximizers they have out these days can sometimes get out of control, Lord knows it has happened to me!! Awesome song though man.

Thanks for taking the time to listen and post Peter! Really enjoying your presence on the forum-some good stuff! Take care. Greg

Hi Herb. THanks for the kind words. I think you're right about the guitar (a little over the top), and Yes I let BIAB do the ending. I was going to fade it but I kind of liked the funky end. As for the chord change in the B-section, I like it! Thanks again. Love getting your thoughts and listening to your tunes! Take care. Greg

Thanks Jim!! I think I probably pushed the mastering process a bit too hard, as much as I'd love to blame Soundcloud. Thanks for your support. Looking forward to your next one! Take care. Greg

Thanks CK. Really appreciate your kind words! And, Yes, I found a great wife, who gave me two great kids! Take care. Greg

Thanks Josie! You know I always love hearing from you-music and comments! Take care. Greg

Thanks Dani! Good to see you around again, and your new tune is awesome! Take care. Greg

Thanks for the kind words David! Yeah, I probably got a little carried away on the processing. I'll try to tweak it a bit. Really loved your new one!! Take care. Greg

Thanks so much for the listen and the nice comments. Much appreciated!! Take care. Greg

Strong start with the guitar introduction, and stays strong to the haunting ending.

Love the hook. Well sung, great production, and everything fits together in a way that's the earmark of a great pop song. It sticks in my ear after the song ends - something that doesn't happen very often.

THanks David for your very kind comments! I know you are a very critical listener and your words mean a lot to me. Take care. Greg